Hi TheNavigator,
While I can’t speak to which of these would be the better “match” for you in terms of “comfort” or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) and a more detailed conversation on the phone with Dreamfoam would be the best source of guidance about which of their mattresses or firmness options would have the best chance of being a suitable “match” for you … I can certainly speak to the quality and durability of the materials in each of them.
The Eurotop and the Ultimate Dreams are both a polyfoam latex hybrid that use blended Talalay latex in the comfort layers, 1.5" of polyfoam in the quilting, and a 1.5 lb density polyfoam base layer. The main advantage of the Eurotop is that it is a component mattress rather than a “finished” mattress and you can exchange the Talalay latex comfort layer if the firmness level that you chose doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and you need a firmer or a softer latex layer (and you can also replace just the top layer if your needs or preferences change over time). There is more about a latex/polyfoam hybrid vs an all latex mattress in post #2 here.
You can see the foam quality guidelines I would suggest in post #4 here and there is much more detail yet about all the variables that can affect durability and the useful life of a mattress in post #4 here. The “best” place to use slightly lower density materials and lower cost materials in a lower budget mattress that will have the least effect on durability are in the deeper layers of a mattress that are less subject to the mechanical stresses of compression when you sleep and will have the least effect on the durability of the mattress. If you are in a higher weight range (more than the low 200’s or so) then you would be compressing the deeper layers more and a 1.5 lb support layer would have more effect on durability than it would if you have a more average body type and don’t compress the support layer as much so for most people that are in the low 200’s or less the 1.5 lb polyfoam wouldn’t have a significant effect or be a weak link in the mattress in terms of durability. If you are in a lower budget range that doesn’t allow for the use of the highest quality or more costly materials from top to bottom then the deeper layers are the best place to make some smaller compromises for the sake of cost. 1.5 lb polyfoam is a “standard” for the support core for most mainstream mattresses including mattresses that are in much higher budget ranges. The upper layers are the place where I would avoid compromising the quality of the materials because they will be the weakest link of the mattress.
The Dreamfoam natural uses 100% natural Dunlop latex in the comfort layer and has a 2.0 lb polyfoam support core so it would be suitable for any weight range. The choice between Dunlop and Talalay comfort layers would be a preference issue (not a “bettter/worse” issue). There is more about how Dunlop and Talalay compare in post #7 here but the best way to know which type of latex you tend to prefer would be based on your own personal testing or experience.
The Freedom comes with three 3" layers of synthetic Dunlop latex which is also a good quality and durable material (see post #2 here). The standard layers come in soft, medium, and firm and it also has a zippered quilted cover that is firmer on one side than the other. It doesn’t offer a layer exchange but the layers can be rearranged in 6 different ways to customize the pressure relief and support of the mattress after a purchase by using the layers in a different order (the “standard” layering would be soft on top, medium in the middle, and firm on the bottom) and then you can also use the softer or firmer side of the cover for each of the 6 different foam combinations for a total of 12 different combinations. This gives you the ability to fine tune the comfort or support of the mattress after a purchase in 12 different ways if the standard configuration isn’t the best “match” for your body type or sleeping positions. With individual layers and a zip cover it would also make it possible to replace individual layers if one of the layers softens or breaks down before the rest (usually the top layer) or if your needs or preferences change down the road without having to replace the entire mattress. They have also said that they can supply different firmness levels on request other than their standard S/M/F layering (see post #12 here).
While there is no way to quantify how long any mattress will last for any particular person, if a mattress is well inside a suitable comfort/support range and isn’t close to the edge of being too soft when it is new and meets the minimum quality specs that are suggested in the guidelines then it would be reasonable to expect a useful lifetime in the range of 7 - 10 years and with higher quality and more durable materials like latex or higher density memory foam or polyfoam (in the comfort layers especially) it would likely be in the higher end of the range or even longer.
It’s always more realistic to think of about 10 years as a maximum reasonable expectation for any mattress no matter what the quality or durability of the materials and then treat any additional time after that as “bonus time” because after about 10 years the limiting factor in the useful life of a mattress will often be the changing needs and preferences of the person sleeping on the mattress and even if a mattress is still in good condition after a decade … a mattress that was suitable for someone 10 years earlier may not be the best “match” any longer.
Having said that … with higher quality materials throughout a mattress and/or for people whose needs and preferences or physical condition or body type hasn’t changed much over 10 years then “bonus time” or even “extended bonus time” with higher quality/density and more durable materials like latex or higher density memory foam or polyfoam or natural fibers is much more likely than with less durable materials.
In other words … if you aren’t in an unusually heavy weight range it would be realistic to expect that all of the mattresses you are considering would have a useful lifetime of well over your minimum 5 year criterium.
Phoenix